


Beyond Human

by Echo_S1



Category: The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Animal Transformation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Grimm-like Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22119397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Echo_S1/pseuds/Echo_S1
Summary: He doesn't know what to think anymore. It's all so confusing. What happened? Where is he? Who is he? What is he? Who are these people? Why do they like him so much? It's too much. He looks in the mirror and sees it for the first time. And he knows: he is no longer human.
Relationships: Barry Allen & Mick Rory & Leonard Snart & Lisa Snart, Cisco Ramon/Lisa Snart, Mick Rory/Leonard Snart
Kudos: 12





	1. Inversus

(inspired by grimmfairy's (ArchiveofOurOwn) "Vampires in Central City")

**Chapter 1: Inversus**

The thrill of the run was always the best. Barry loved the feeling of the air blowing through his hair, the scenery, and the rush of his nervous system springing to life in order to keep him moving. Checking his watch, he paused on the trail to take a sip of water from the bottle he’d brought with him.

“Two already?” he exclaimed, wiping his forehead. The woods were always nice at this time of day, and he enjoyed the break from work.

“There’s killers out there, Barry. Just waiting to dig their claws into you. Watch yourself, pretty boy.” Iris had teased him, causing both Barry and Wally to laugh at her remark.

“Nothing’s going to get him, sis. Besides, he’d be too fast for them.” Wally had replied.

If Barry wanted to be comfortable, then so be it. They did weird things all the time, too.

Looking up at the sky, Barry watched a series of dark storm clouds beginning to roll in overhead. “Looks like rain.” he noted, turning to head back to his car.

The jog had been about an hour in, so it would be about an hour back, he figured. As he turned, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. From somewhere in the forest, someone was watching him, he was certain. Scanning the area, he noticed a man standing just a few dozen feet away, staring at him.

“Um, sir, are you alright?” Barry asked, concerned. The man didn’t reply, so Barry approached him cautiously.

Reaching out to touch the man’s shoulder, Barry gasped as the man’s hand flicked to grasp his hands, pinning them above his head. The man let out a deep hiss, growling as Barry struggled against his firm hold.

“Hey, hold on! I’m not going to hurt you! Let me go!” Barry protested. Hearing footsteps approaching from behind him, Barry turned his head to see a series of figures approaching, all dressed in black cloaks.

“Release him, fiend!” one shouted, drawing a long knife from his sleeve. The man holding Barry hissed venomously, licking his lips as he eyed the youth’s throat. The other robed figures began to try to separate the duo, Barry catching sight of long fangs situated within the insane man’s mouth.

“What are those? Why does he have _fangs_ ?” Barry cried, his struggle becoming more and more frantic with each passing second.

“Alchemy, we cannot separate them! What are your instructions?” one of the robed figures called, another robed figure appearing from the woods. The one they called “Alchemy” sported black boots, a beaked mask with black lenses over the eyes, and more of a hooded jacket rather than a robe. The person’s build seemed masculine, so Barry assumed that the person was male.

“The Hannya failed us. He does not carry the true monstrosity for which we seek to destroy. He requires the mercy of death. The boy is a witness and will report our activities to the authorities. Prevent this from happening.” Alchemy replied coolly.

Some of the hooded figures drew their knives from their sleeves, surrounding both Barry and the strange man holding him captive. Others held both Barry and the man still as the others slashed the insane man to pieces, dismembering him before the young man.

“No, stop! What did he do to you?” Barry cried, horrified by the sight of the cultist-like killing.

“Hush yourself. Rest in peace, young soul.” one of the robed figures cooed, pressing the blade of his knife against Barry’s throat.

“Please, I’m begging you. Let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone.” Barry pleaded desperately.

“Rest now. Be at peace.” the man replied, pulling back to strike.

Barry’s eyes were cast towards the sky, taking in the view of the stormy evening weather with a certain bliss. ‘This is where I die.’ he thought, hoping to see a beloved arc of lightning. Everything moved in slow motion as Barry watched a gigantic bolt of lightning dive from the sky towards him, pulsing with energy that humanity would never know. The bolt seemed to give a cry as it moved towards him, striking him in the chest and blowing everyone in the area off their feet. Barry was shot backwards, his back slamming hard against a tree before he fell to the ground, falling limp upon the dirt.

When he awoke again, he found his back against a solid stone wall, and his wrists chained. Alchemy stood before him, holding a glass bottle of some type of red fluid, and a notebook. “Five days.” he stated, scribbling in his notebook before quickly closing it with a sharp snap.

“Where am I?” Barry asked, sitting up groggily.

Alchemy put the bottle of red fluid on the floor in front of him, and Barry could smell the strong scent of blood that wafted off it. Strangely, he felt his stomach growl after smelling it.

“You are within the care of the Ventatores. Do not fear, you will be the primary ingredient in cleansing this world of hellish filth. Be proud that you have fallen into our hands.” Alchemy replied.

Barry’s eyes traveled to the bottle of blood sitting on the floor between Alchemy’s feet. “What is that?” he asked.

“Blood. Something you become accustomed to as your source of food. It was taken from an elderly donor this morning.” Alchemy replied, offering to Barry.

Shrinking away from the offering in horror, Barry flinched as Alchemy retracted the bottle, checking it closely. “You should have no problem drinking it. Is there something wrong?” he asked.

“Excuse me? I’m human, sir. Why the _hell_ would I drink human blood?” Barry snapped, shocked.

Taken aback by his statement, Alchemy seemed to smile under his mask. “You’re _not_ human. Now, drink.” he replied.

Startled, Barry kicked the bottle away, watching it clatter to the floor as it contents spilled across the stone. “Suit yourself.” Alchemy stated, heading up a small staircase at the other end of the room and vanishing out of sight.

Curling into himself, Barry bit his lip. “Am I not human? I’m perfectly human. I’m not different, am I?” he asked aloud to himself. He found his eyes returning to the blood on the floor, his tongue darting across his lips instinctively.

“No!” he cried, slamming his head backwards against the wall behind him. The impact was dizzying, and that satisfied him. Lying his head on his knees, he drifted off to thoughts of Iris, Joe, and Wally. 


	2. Evadere

**Chapter 2: Evadere**

If he stopped, for even a moment, they’d catch him.

They were following him closely, right on his tail, trying to drag him back to that horrible place. He was back in the woods, charging like a madman through the brush, while trying to find his way back to the road. Someone would stop, and they’d help him.

How long had it been, since those people had caught him? How long had he been in that basement? He ran faster, the adrenaline pumping through his veins like a drug to an addict. He didn’t recognise the area.

A sound to his right: car brakes. He turned his body and darted for the sound, suddenly blurring through the area and slamming into the side of the truck before he could stop himself. The truck’s side was dented: a semi. A delivery worker stood at the back, adjusting the straps of his cargo.

He glanced up at the sudden approach of the stranger, Barry stepping away from the truck in a dazed state. “Son? You alright?” the worker asked.

Barry turned to him dizzily, his heartbeat thrumming in his ears. Barry was covered in blood, he didn’t know how many sharp things he’d run through to escape, and it was soaking into his torn hoodie.

His eyes flicking to the worker, Barry suddenly noted that he had the ability to view every vein in his body, and the blood pumping through each. He bit his lips to prevent licking them in his extreme hunger.

“Son?” the worker asked, taking a step closer. Shying away from the man, Barry ran off down the road to protect the worker from himself.

How far from the city was he? Could he get there by himself? What road was this? Thoughts of his captors floated back into his mind, and he found himself gasping for breath in panic. ‘Calm down, Barry. Calm down.’ he pleaded with himself, desperate to keep his sanity. Looking farther down the road, he saw the city in the distance. A few miles, for sure. Remembering the burst of speed that had him slamming into the truck, he focused on the feeling that he usually got while he was running. ‘Maybe I can do that again.’ he pondered, starting off on a slow jog towards the city.

Little by little, he tested the speeds, finally breaking out into a full-sprint. As he hit full speed, he felt his body accelerating through his environment, blurring against the scenery around him. His eyes were able to track it all, albeit in quick-time events, but he was seeing everything.

Before he knew it, he found himself dashing into an alleyway and slamming into a brick wall. Stumbling back with a groan, he tripped over some trash cans and landed hard on his ass. Blood was gently dripping down his forehead, leaking into his eye. He wiped it away, hissing at the stinging pain from the cut.

A startled cry from his left had him on his feet within two seconds, ready to defend himself once more. A homeless man was staring wild-eyed at him, a bottle of vodka in his hand.

Waving meekly at the man, Barry made to approach him, suddenly bursting forward with another speed boost, and instead barely managing to stop himself from slamming into the wall next to the man. He skidded across the pavement, hissing in pain at his bloodied knee while the homeless man rose to his feet in terror. Eyes swiveling to focus on the man, Barry found his stomach growling once more.

‘No. I won’t hurt anyone.’ he vowed silently, turning his eyes away.

As he stood again, the homeless man bolted for the exit to the alley, dropping his alcohol in the process. “I swear to Mary and Joseph, I will never drink again!” he cried as he vanished from sight.

Barry was going to call after him, but the man had been standing in front of a mirror, one that was currently displaying Barry’s reflection. Barry’s skin was deathly pale, his red clothing in tatters. His eyes were glowing blue, with electricity dancing around in his sclera. Startled by his appearance, Barry jolted back, gasping in shock. Upon gasping, Barry noticed four small fangs poking out of his lower jaw, marking his canines.

“I _look_ like a monster.” the youth sighed.

Seating himself next to the homeless man’s dumpster, he pulled his knees into his chest. “I _am_ a monster.” he sighed sadly. 


	3. Captus

**Chapter 3: Captus**

Leonard Snart was waist-deep in an empire of supernatural beings that didn’t even belong to him to begin with. His father, the late Lewis Snart, had been killed, leaving him the biggest of all messes: managing an entire sector of the empire without any form of training.

The rest of his week was booked with meetings, treaty signings, paperwork, and other assignments that required his attention if he were to run his sector so smoothly, of which he planned to do.

Lewis had ruled the sector as a bastard, using fear and pain, instead of common sense. The madman had turned Len’s sister, very nearly started a war between two sector heads, and doubled the number of hunters in the area. The hunters had arrived, threatening Len and his sister, wanting Lewis gone. Now that Len had done that, people were looking to the Vulksrin for support.

He looked up as Mick Rory walked into his office, looking quite satisfied with himself. “Somebody wants to talk to ya.” Mick reported, his voice gruff and scratchy.

Len swore that every time Mick spoke, he could hear the crackling of embers at the back of the Verdehile’s throat. Vampires like him rarely existed in urban spaces, so Len loved having him around, also because they could hold their own in a fight.

“What’s the problem this time?” Len asked, rubbing his aching temples. Mick was already vanishing out the door, ignoring his response. Mick never walked away this quickly unless it was important.

Standing, Len followed Mick out to their bar, where several patrons were mulling about. Len had only established one rule here: no fighting. He’d seen enough of that while Lewis was alive.

Mick moved to the bar’s counter, chatting casually with a man. Mick was smiling as he talked to the guy, causing Len to cringe inwardly.

The guy was a werewolf cop, based on his stance and stench. One of the few creatures that respected Mick, whenever Len _wasn’t_ around. Mick gestured Len forward, Len joining the duo at the bar.

“So, you’re Leonard Snart?” the werewolf asked, a hint of judginess on his tone.

Sighing, Len nodded. “I heard you had to speak with me. What’s the issue?” Len replied, trying to keep it casual. He could tell the man was comparing him to Lewis, and he hated it.

“We’ve got a problem, sir.” the werewolf replied, somehow coming to the conclusion that Len wasn’t like his father.

“What kind of problem?” Len asked.

Mick was sipping his drink next to him, but Len could tell he was nervous. “I was at the station today, like usual, and some homeless bum came charging in, yelling and screaming. He was scared half to death. He reported seeing a “monster” with glowing blue eyes that just appeared out of some kind of blur, of which almost slammed into the wall next to him. He said the monster was some kind of kid, with long fangs, and that he looked like he’d been hit by a bus or two. The kid was hissing and growling, too, if that adds any validity. He said he ran for his life, and hasn’t gone back since.” the cop reported.

Len sighed in annoyance. “Where did this happen?” he asked, the cop hanging him a piece of paper.

“Thank you. We’ll deal with it as soon as possible.” Len promised, moving to head inside.

Mick waved farewell to the cop and followed him inside, looking quite concerned. “Go get Lisa, okay? We’re having a family meeting.” Len requested, Mick heading off to the living room to find Len’s sister. Within a minute, all three vampires were seated on the various furniture of the living room, Len leading the conversation.

“What’s up Lenny?” Lisa asked.

“I just got a report from an officer from our sector. He just described to me a situation in which I think a newborn vampire might be involved.” Len replied.

“Where? Is it safe?” Lisa blurted.

“Len got the location from the cop, Lisa. When I was talking to him, he couldn’t tell if the newborn was still alive or not. There’s a chance that it might not be, but we should check it out anyway.” Mick explained.

“The officer also said it was alone. This could be the worst of all newborn situations, if the newborn doesn’t have a sire with it, or doesn’t have a sire in general, because it might not be able to control itself if it doesn’t know what it is.” Len added.

“That means that we might have to turn it over to hunters, right? I don’t want to do that.” Lisa replied.

“We can’t keep a newborn, Lisa. Our best choice right now is to turn it over to hunters once we find it, unless something can be done to help.” Len replied. Len knew the rules of their society, Lewis made sure of that. Newborns belonged to their sires.

Lisa sprang to her feet and pulled the car keys from her pocket, taking the paper from Len’s hand. “Where to?” she asked, reading the address.

“The busiest part of our sector.” Len replied, following Mick and her out to their black service van. While Len and Mick entered the back, Lisa drove them to the address, pulling up to the site somewhat more stealthily than Len expected.

Slipping out into the alley, Len and Mick quickly picked up the scent of blood perforating throughout the area. Spying the skidmarks, Len examined them briefly. They were specked with blood and bits of flesh, most likely leaving one hell of a mark. “We’re close, come on.” Len said, motioning for Mick to follow him farther into the alley.

As morning approached, Barry’s senses became agonizingly sharp, picking up on every sound and scent around him. People were beginning to venture outside, and cars were traveling up and down the roads. It was so loud here, so different from the peaceful quiet of the woods just mere hours ago. He dragged himself behind the dumpster and covered his ears, trying to block out the noise plaguing his ears from the waking city.

A door swung open just a few dozen feet down the alley, and a man stepped out with a pair of black garbage bags in his hands. As the man approached the dumpster, Barry turned away, trying to ignore the spiked pulse of the man getting steadily closer to him. His stomach urged him to attack, to take one _little_ bite. Barry watched the man toss the bags into the dumpster, and speed-walk back towards the door he’d emerged from, seemingly unnerved by the sight of Barry. Barry found himself silently following the man, his footsteps noiseless compared to that of the rushing man’s.

The man paused, digging in his pockets for keys. The door had locked behind him when he’d stepped out into the alley. He hadn’t seen Barry, and reached out for the doorknob, swiftly unlocking it. Barry battled his stomach to remain sane, sadly watching the man enter the building through the door and close it behind him.

‘I won’t hurt anyone.’ he vowed again, his stomach growling loudly in protest.

While Barry stood staring at the door in despair, a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist, pinning his arms to his sides, while one wrapped around his mouth, muffling his cry. As he began to struggle, he felt a pair of fingers being pressed to his lymph nodes, emitting a cold sensation.

“Stop.” a firm, commanding voice ordered.

Instantly, the fight rushed out of Barry’s body, and he was left limp in his captor’s arms. A man walked around his first captor, moving to stand in front of him, his fingers being the ones resting on his lymph nodes. His eyes were glowing a bright blue, reminding Barry of his own eyes.

“Relax. We’re not here to hurt you.” the second man said, giving him a pitiful look. The second’s hand slid from his mouth to rest on his forehead, holding him against a strong body.

“What’s your name?” the first asked in his ear.

“B-Barry.” Barry replied, terrified.

Len was surprised by the newborn’s appearance. He was clad in torn clothes, stained with his own blood, his skin pale and clammy. “You look hungry, kid. Let’s get you fed and cleaned up, okay?” Len offered, Barry’s eyes going wide.

“No! I don’t want to feed! Let me go!” Barry cried, weakly struggling against Mick’s grasp. He was starting to panic again, and even in his weak state, he was still quite strong.

‘If he gets away, he could kill someone.’ Len noted, looking to Mick as the man struggled to hold the panicking newborn. “I’m sorry about this, Barry, but we need you to come quietly.” Len apologized, removing his tie. Using it as a blindfold, Len tied his tie over Barry’s eyes, pressing his hand to Barry’s temples. Barry instantly went limp, Mick shifting the youth to dangle over his shoulder.

They walked back to the van, where Lisa opened the door and let them in. Mick settled Barry down in his lap, holding the newborn close as to prevent him from tumbling about during their drive.

When they returned home, Len and Mick hauled Barry up to the second floor bedroom, settling him down under the blankets. Mick was surprised with the way Len was mothering the kid, setting up an IV, and making sure all the sound panels were in place. The Vulksrin didn’t seem sure what to do for the specific newborn, but he seemed to know what he was doing for any generic newborn vampire.


	4. Turbidus

**Chapter 4: Turbidus**

When Barry finally awoke, six hours had passed, and he was met with the sight of Len sitting in a chair beside his bed.

“Welcome back.” Len greeted.

Barry swallowed hard, glancing around the room. It was plain, and blissfully quiet. Lifting the blanket slightly, he noted he was still in his dirty clothes, but the bed he was lying on was clean and soft.

“Who are you? Are you going to hurt me?” Barry asked cautiously. He was already sweating in his nervousness, and Len was uncomfortable seeing a newborn in that state of mind.

“My name is Leonard Snart. Call me Len. Why would I want to hurt you?” Len asked back.

Barry swallowed hard again, shrugging. Barry attempted to sit up, only to become aware of the IV line in his arm, as well as Len gently pushing him back down.

‘He instantly jumped to the conclusion that I was going to hurt him. That’s concerning, for a newborn.’ Len noted, crossing his arms.

“What happened to you? Where’s your sire? When were you turned?” Len asked.

“I-I-” Barry began, stuttering on his words.

The bedroom door opened and Mick walked in, leaning on the wall behind Len. Barry tracked him carefully as he entered and moved, picking up the faint scent of fire coming from the man.

“Don’t worry, that’s just Mick.” Len explained.

“Who did this to you, kid?” Mick asked, crossing his arms.

“I-I don’t know.” Barry replied.

“Were you bitten?” Len asked.

“No.” Barry replied.

“When was the last time you fed? Where’s your sire?” Len asked.

“Fed? Sire?” Barry echoed.

“A sire’s the one who’s supposed to teach you how to be what you are, kid. Do you even have one? And he just wants to know how bad the thirst is. Have you ever drank blood, and when’s the last time you did?” Mick explained.

“Oh. I’ve never fed. And I don’t have what you call a sire. I don’t want to kill anyone.” Barry replied nervously.

“Awfully hard to kill a blood-bag.” Mick smirked, Len silencing him with a glare.

“Am I a monster?” Barry asked, biting his lip.

Len sighed. “Do _we_ look like monsters to you, Barry? We’re vampires, but not monsters. _What_ you are, has little to do with _who_ you are.” Len explained. Len’s eyes were no longer glowing an icy blue, but were a dark teal. Mick’s, in turn, were a dark red wine color.

“I think we’re going about this the wrong way. What _do_ you know?” Len asked. Barry described his experience out in the woods, being captured, kept as a pet, and then escaping back to the city.

“You were in the process of being attacked by a man with fangs, you got struck by lightning, and _this_ happened?” Len asked, reviewing the details.

“You don’t believe me.” Barry stated, looking down at his hands sadly.

“We believe ya, kid. It’s just weird.” Mick answered, pondering the story himself. Len didn’t like what he was hearing. Barry seemed more alert now that he had some blood in his system, but he radiated confusion at his strange turning.

“Do you feel up to a shower? I’ll lay out some clean clothes for you and we can talk again later.” Len offered, gesturing to the bathroom door.

Barry nodded, wincing as Len pulled out the IV needle, but the wound healed up quickly, leaving him without pain. Lifting the blanket and heading into the bathroom, he checked himself in the mirror, noting that his other wounds had healed completely as well. The two men left to give him some privacy while he showered, Len gathering him some spare clothes in the meantime.

“So, what’re we going to do with him?” Mick asked. Barry wouldn’t be able to hear them through the soundproofed walls.

“He’s scared, alone, and broken. We can’t let him leave, yet. He’ll kill someone and bring the hunters around. I don’t want any heat with them right now.” Len explained, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“You _like_ him.” Mick smirked as Len walked away, moving to gather Barry some clothes.

When Barry finally emerged from the shower, he’d taken about twenty minutes to scrub off every instance of blood, grime, and fear that littered his body, wrapping a towel around his waist as he walked back out into the bedroom. He discovered a pair of oversized black sweatpants, a red sweatshirt, and a pair of underwear in an unopened package sitting on the edge of the bed, awaiting him. Slipping everything on, he paused to glance over his reflection in the mirror.

‘Am I allowed to leave?’ he pondered, glancing towards the door. So far, these people hadn’t yelled or hurt him, but he was still tense in their presence. He didn’t want to overstep and anger them.

A soft knock on the bedroom door startled him out of his thoughts. “Come in?” Barry offered, the door opening to reveal Len.

Len moved to sit on the bed, staring at him with large teal eyes. “You’ve been starving for at _least_ a month, from what I can tell, and if you’ve never fed before you won’t be satisfied with blood bags. But, I can’t let you feed on a live source, because you might not be able to stop.” Len explained.

Barry flinched at the idea of hurting someone like that. Len could see the way the kid’s body sagged with the need for nourishment, his eyes dull and sad. Patting the bed beside him, Len gestured for Barry to sit. “I won’t bite. Come on.” he stated.

Barry quickly sat beside him, fiddling with his hands in his lap nervously. “You’re going to feed from me, alright?” Len offered, Barry’s expression blank.

“You can feed from other vampires, too. It’s alright, I can handle it.” Len explained. Barry kept his eyes on his lap, swallowing thickly.

Len grabbed the newborn by the hips and shifted him to sit on his lap, so they were sitting chest to chest. “What-is this how we’re supposed to do it? I’ve never done this before.” Barry blushed nervously.

Len smiled warmly, patting him on the shoulder. “Show me your fangs, Barry.” Len ordered.

“What? How? I don’t know how!” Barry exclaimed, embarrassed by their closeness.

Opening his mouth, Len revealed two long fangs, his eyes glowing the same icy blue that Barry had seen in the alleyway. Upon seeing his elder’s fangs, Barry felt his own slipping from his gums, poking against his lips.

Len pressed his thumbs against the corners of Barry’s mouth until he opened it, revealing his own fangs. “Four. Interesting number for a vampire newborn.” Len noted aloud, smirking at Barry.

Blushing harder, Barry buried his face in his hands. “What’s so special about fangs?” he asked.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Barry. A little newborn like you needs to have strong fangs, or else you won’t be able to feed yourself in the future. Plus, they look cute.” Len smirked, Barry moaning in embarrassment.

“What do I do with them?” Barry asked, shifting his weight on Len’s lap.

Len dug in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a small pocket knife, flicking open the blade and pressing it to the side of his neck. Cutting quickly across the skin, he let some of the blood ooze out down his neck to cloy the newborn further. “Do you smell it?” Len asked.

Barry nodded, his stomach growling painfully hard. “Use your lips at first. If you’re not comfortable, don’t bite.” Len instructed.

Leaning forward, Barry pressed his lips to Len’s flesh, gently sucking at the cut. Blood filled his mouth in an instant, and he used his tongue to push it to the back of his throat. Being so focused on slaking his thirst, he didn’t taste anything.

After around five minutes, Barry registered Len’s cold hand gripping the base of his skull, urging him to release. Resting his head against Len’s chest, Barry blushed as the elder vampire’s thumb wiped the blood from his lips.

“Better?” Len asked, Barry nodding happily.

Leaning Barry backwards off his lap, Len situated the youth under the covers of the bed once more, settling him down for a nap. “Rest for now. When you wake up, we’ll talk.” Len promised, heading to the door after flicking off the lights. 


	5. Noti

**Chapter 5: Noti**

Lisa Snart was not going to let a stern glare from her brother keep her from meeting the newborn they’d brought home, and she damn well told him when he subjected her to said glare. It was rare to meet newborns that weren’t under the influence of a sire. The old stories of untended newborns tended to be horrifically bloody, and it peaked her curiosity. From what Len had told her, it didn’t seem like Barry even _had_ a sire. Lisa, on the other hand, was already dead-set on keeping the kid, and she hadn’t even met him, yet.

“I’m not going anywhere, Lenny, and you can’t _make_ me.” she taunted, lounging on her favorite chair in their living room. Len was seated across from her, in his favorite armchair. Their living area also doubled as a makeshift dining area, so a large coffee table separated them, which they also rested their coffees on currently.

“He’s not ready to be bombarded with questions.” Len warned.

Lisa only smiled at him. “You _like_ him.” she smirked.

“That’s what _I_ said!” Mick called from their kitchen.

Not everyone in their inner circle relied on blood, which is why they possessed a kitchen.

Len was about to reply, cutting himself off when they all heard Barry’s bedroom door opening. Nothing happened for a few minutes, but Len could sense the newborn’s heart racing. Finally, quiet footsteps on the stairs led down to their living room, and Barry appeared before them. Standing there in his oversized borrowed clothes, Barry looked like a lost puppy.

“Barry, sleep well?” Len greeted. Barry nodded silently, looking to Lisa shyly.

“This is my sister, Lisa. She was adamant about meeting you. Lisa, _behave_ .” Len warned.

“Hi?” Barry offered, waving at the woman meekly.

Lisa grinned, patting the empty spot on the lounge chair beside her. “Hello, sweetheart. Want some coffee? You look like you need it about now.” she joked, gesturing to the insulated coffee pot and the extra mug sitting on the table.

“You can eat and drink if you want. Caffeine and alcohol will still affect you, without the hangover.” Len explained.

“Oh, thank you.” Barry said, accepting the mug the woman offered him. Barry seated himself next to her silently, sipping the coffee hesitantly. Lisa was studying him closely, and the newborn was beginning to squirm under her gaze.

“How do you feel?” Len asked, taking pity on the newborn.

Gathering his thoughts, Barry looked up at him with a sickly expression. “What day is it?” he asked. Lisa handed him her phone, the calendar app open. She had a gut feeling that this was going to be a shock to the kid. Barry read the date with a blank expression before he choked on a small sob, tears welling in his eyes.

“I’ve been gone for two _years_ .” he whimpered, tears streaming down his face. He felt a rush of panic: people would be looking for him. How was he supposed to return to them? His family, his friends? They must think he was kidnapped, or _dead_ . He was terrified to even step a foot outside this odd little sanctuary he found himself in, much less go home to be surrounded by the people who loved him.

He heard Len stand up and leave, then the sound of a door slamming startled him out of his thoughts. He flinched at the sound, Lisa carefully wrapping him in a hug. “He’s not angry with you. He’s just upset. He knows what it’s like to be scared and alone. For a newborn like you, your fear and hunger must be magnified tenfold. Give him a few moments to calm down.” Lisa explained, reassuring him.

Barry nodded, letting himself be coddled for the moment. It felt nice to be treated gently again, and he could pretend that Lisa was his sister, for the moment. Mick walked into the room, placing a plate of muffins on the coffee table. Barry must’ve not hidden his surprise because Lisa chuckled at his expression.

“Yeah, I bake. You’ve got to do something when you’re going to live forever.” Mick said, smirking.

Barry picked one that looked as if it had chocolate chips in it. Len said he could eat, and he wanted the comfort of something unhealthy.

“Are you a vampire, too?” he asked, looking to Mick. Mick growled at him, and Barry found himself flinching, as if expecting some form of attack.

“Something like that.” Mick grunted. Lisa burst out laughing, which made Barry believe he’d stumbled into an unseen joke.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know-” Barry began, Lisa cutting him off with a short pat to his shoulder.

“Don’t apologize. Mick’s just being an asshole. Mick’s a different _kind_ of vampire. He’s a Verdehile, or fire vampire: a vampire gifted with the control of flames.” Lisa explained. To demonstrate, Mick allowed a few small flames to dance between his fingertips. Anything bigger and Len would lecture him about scorch marks on the furniture.

“Cool.” Barry praised, looking on in awe. His eyes had lost their haunted look, if only for a moment. Mick couldn’t help but feel a little proud. Most vampires looked at him with a mixture of disgust, hate, or fear, Len and Lisa excluded. Barry had apparently missed the memo that vampires and fire don’t mix. Mick extinguished the flames and lowered his hand, resting it on his lap.

“And what do you do?” Barry asked, turning to Lisa.

“I’m an Aurum: a vampire with the power to control gold.” Lisa explained.

“Like Midas’ touch?” Barry offered, Lisa nodding.

A companionable silence fell over them, and Barry looked down at his hands. He took a bite of the muffin to distract himself, though it didn’t make him feel any less hungry, it was still enjoyable. Len returned a few moments later, his hands clasped tightly together.

“I’ve thought through this, and I went through our vampiric records. Only one thing makes sense: Barry might be a Speedster.” Len proposed.

“You serious?” Mick asked, shocked.

“It makes sense. He wasn’t turned by any means of the traditional route, accident or otherwise. It seems like he’s got the accelerated speed, and the four fangs that are unique to their species.” Lisa reasoned.

“Only one way to find out. Barry, run upstairs as fast as you can, then come back down.” Len requested.

Barry shyly stood up, heading to the bottom of the stairs. “Okay, I’m ready.” he stated, bolting up the stairs in a blur. He returned just seconds later, landing hard on his knees, his body sparking with little bolts of electricity.

“And there you have it. Barry _is_ a Speedster.” Mick finalized. Helping Barry to his feet, Len guided Barry back to the couch.

“What’s so special about Speedsters?” Barry asked, confused.

“Speedsters are extremely rare vampires. We don’t even know if they still exist, because they haven’t been seen for such a long time. They were the first of the vampires to be hunted down, since they were said to be born from a combination of god and man, and harbored such pure animalistic instincts. Hunters wanted to prove they could kill a god, and since then, Speedsters have gone extinct because of that. Hunters thought that Speedsters were the true embodiment of evil in this world, _we_ think it’s the purest form of our creation.” Len explained.

“No one knows much about them either, if they happened to be lucky enough to meet one, and live to tell the tale.” Mick added.

“I’m special?” Barry asked, blushing softly.

“Yeah, you could say that, Barry.” Lisa smiled, wrapping him tight in a hug.

“A hunter can pry you from my cold undead fingers.” Mick growled, patting Barry on the head comfortingly.

“Let’s keep him.” Lisa stated, Mick nodding.

“What?” Barry asked, startled.

“When you’re turned, Barry, your sire has to look out for you. By our laws, you’re their child. If you don’t have a sire, and you can’t control yourself yet, I see no reason _not_ to keep you.” Len explained.

“T-thank you.” Barry whispered, Len nodding.

“You any good in the kitchen, kid? The rest of the gang is coming over tonight, and I could use a little help. These two are useless.” Mick offered. He didn’t want to see Barry cry. Crying was complicated.

“Yeah, I can help.” Barry replied, brightening a little.

“I am _not_ useless in the kitchen. Anyway, I have to go take care of some business, but I’ll check in with you later. Oh, and don’t let Mick set anything on fire.” Len stated, quickly standing up and leaving. Mick flipped him off as he left, looking to Barry with a smile.

“Go wash your hands. We’re making steak, and werewolves can eat their weight of the stuff. You can chop the vegetables.” Mick explained.

“Werewolves?” Barry asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Mick said, shrugging. Lisa just nudged the newborn so he would get moving.

“ _Werewolves_ ?” Barry asked again, his voice displaying his disbelief.

“Yes, _werewolves_ , go.” Mick repeated, pointing towards the bathroom. Grinning as he stood up, Barry pondered the existence of other creatures. What else was real?

Barry emerged from the bathroom, the mirror pointedly ignored, an amazing amount of food greeting him at the kitchen counter. Mick was surprisingly adamant about the exact amount of vegetables and spices to add, which led Barry to think he was a professional chef. The terrifying thing was the impossibly large amount of meat awaiting cooking in their fridge, of which Barry discovered with a slack jaw.

When Mick had seen Barry’s expression, he promptly pulled out an industrial-sized slow cooker they were going to use. Len, having been chased out of the kitchen by Mick himself, was seated in the living room with a book, vaguely listening to the duo’s conversation. “How many people are coming?” Barry asked, cutting up some carrots.

“Well, we’ve got the four of us, Axel, Shawna the witch, the Mardons, and Samuel. So, about nine, minimum.” Mick replied, making a mental list.

Barry looked doubtfully at the slow cooker. “Trust me, kid, if we make enough bread, we should be good.” Mick grinned.

“I feel like you’re messing with me. Do you always have to make this much?” Barry asked, leaning against the counter. He could feel his stomach rumbling from the exertion.

“Normally, it’s just me and Lisa. Sometimes Len, if we can pry him away from whatever he’s doing!” Mick called into the living room, making Len smile at the mention of his name.

“Oh. I thought werewolves and vampires were enemies.” Barry stated, watching Mick begin to cut the meat with a huge butcher’s knife.

“Enemies is a strong word nowadays. The modern world has made it easier to coexist. And the Mardons are tied to Len by a life debt, so even if they were enemies, it wouldn’t matter. It takes a lot to lose their loyalty when you’ve earned it.” Mick explained.

“Also, Shawna the _witch_ ?” Barry asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Shawna’s the real deal, old school spell-caster. Great vanishing spells.” Mick replied.

“Cool.” Barry answered.

Mick noticed the increased sound of the chopping of the knife Barry held, looking up to see the newborn’s hands blurring with the speed he was cutting the vegetables. Barry was so focused that he didn’t realize how fast he was moving, his movements basically a blur to Mick across the counter. “Barry?” Mick asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hm?” Barry replied, glancing up.

In that split second, Mick watched Barry’s movements freeze, the knife falling from his hand to the floor. “Ow.” Barry stated, looking down at his hand.

On the cutting board sat Barry’s pointer finger, having been cut off in his frantic chopping frenzy. It didn’t hurt, but it was shocking. “Holy shit, Barry!” Mick cried, racing around the counter to grab a towel, wrapping the newborn’s slightly-bleeding hand.

Len jumped up from his position on the couch, racing to Mick’s side. “What happened?” he asked, eyes glowing blue in concern.

“Barry just cut off his finger.” Mick replied.

“ _What_ ?” Len asked, lifting Barry’s hand to his eye, while Mick held up his severed finger.

To their amazement, Barry’s finger began to grow back, regenerating in mere seconds.

“Oh my _god_ .” Mick stated, running his hand over Barry’s finger just to make sure it was real.

“I-I didn’t know I could do _that_ .” Barry stated, staring at his regrown appendage.

“Neither did we.” Len replied.

Carefully, he took Barry’s severed finger and wrapped it in a towel, handing him back the knife. “Be careful, alright? Don’t do that again. You gave us a heart attack.” he advised.

Barry nodded, taking up the knife and slowly cutting the carrots again. Mick took Len aside, his eyes glazed over in horror. “I can’t believe that just happened.” Mick stated in awe.

“Me, too. I’m so confused. If that’s how they operate, then we shouldn’t be worried, but let’s have Shawna look him over, okay?” Len replied, Mick nodding.

As Mick moved off and resumed seasoning the meat, Len glanced at Barry. The newborn looked shocked at his own ability, less concerned of what had just happened to him. Heading into his office, Len returned, a bag in his hand. “Barry? Can you come here for a moment?” Len asked. Barry moved to sit on the couch, picking up the scent of apples from the bag Len held.

“You’re going to start regaining your full strength very soon, so you’ll need to learn how to control it before something like what just happened happens again.” Len explained.

“How?” Barry asked.

“Let’s work on your strength. The only reason you generally haven’t broken anything is because Mick has heavy-duty knives and you’re not at full strength. Try holding this without bruising the skin.” Len explained, holding out an apple.

Barry took it, hesitating as he held it. Within seconds, his fingers punctured the surface and he was left with a handful of pulp. Len handed him a towel before the remains got on the sofa. “You were trying too hard. You’ll need to control your strength in order to conceal it until you _need_ it, but you do need to know how strong you _can_ be. Try again.” Len explained, handing him another apple.

About an hour later, Lisa returned from her shopping trip to find Barry and Len seated on the sofa, staring at a line of apples. The apples had varying degrees of punctures and bruising, and she looked at Mick for an explanation. The Verdehile had been watching Barry practice, and while he’d seen some improvement, the best apples were still heavily bruised.

“Looks like you want pie.” she said, setting her shopping bags by the stairs and leaning over the newborn’s shoulder.

“Pie?” Barry repeated, confused.

“I can make an apple pie that’ll make a fifties housewife cry tears of joy.” Lisa smiled.

“Apples are the easiest way to work on strength control. Besides, don’t you think Barry deserves a pie?” Len asked, smiling snarkily.

“That was _low_ . Fine, I’ll make your sexist pie, but you _owe_ me. Anyway, Barry, I got you some basics. Everything should fit, but let me know if something doesn’t work.” Lisa retorted, sticking her tongue out at her brother.

“Thank you, I can pay you back.” Barry offered.

“Lenny has enough money to last three lifetimes over. Besides, it’s my treat. Now, go change.” Lisa replied, gesturing towards the stairs. Barry blushed a little, picking up the bags as he headed upstairs.

Once upstairs, he shut the door and began to get dressed. “What happened? He looks upset.” Lisa asked once Barry vanished into his bedroom.

“He got a little _too_ focused on helping Mick, and cut off one of his fingers.” Len replied.

“ _What_ ?” Lisa exclaimed, shocked. Mick help up Barry’s severed finger, having removed it from the towel.

“Oh my god. I didn’t see him missing a finger. This is a pointer finger. Why didn’t I notice him missing a finger?” Lisa asked, confused.

“Because he’s _not_ missing one. It grew back, in a matter of seconds.” Mick replied.

Lisa’s jaw dropped in shock. “It _grew_ back?” she asked, Len nodding to confirm.

“We’re going to tell Shawna, right?” she asked, the duo nodding.

“Good. Is it a good idea to have everyone over tonight? He might freak out.” Lisa asked, startled.

“They were already going to come over, and the food is already prepared. Besides, it’ll be good for him to see that life doesn’t end once you change.” Len reasoned.

“You think the Mardons are going to be good to him? They’re assholes.” Mick smirked.

“They know what’s it’s like to lose their choice. Maybe not the same _way_ as Barry, but they can still relate. They’ll understand.” Len replied.

“Fine, but if they try _anything_ , I _will_ kick their asses this time. Nobody touches _my_ baby!” Lisa snapped proudly, leaning back on the couch. 


	6. Cena

**Chapter 6: Cena**

Unpacking the bags Lisa had given him, Barry set out the various clothing Lisa had purchased for him. He went with a more preppy look: a sweater-vest, skinny jeans, tennis shoes. He tossed out the tags from the clothes he’d put on, placing the rest of the clothes in the dresser provided to him. Doing a small spin the mirror, he admired his new look.

Heading downstairs, Barry found Lisa sitting on the lounge chair, playing with her phone. Her eyes going wide upon seeing him, a small blush smacked across his face. “Does it look okay?” he asked nervously.

“It looks great, Barry. Lenny, what do you think?” Lisa asked, turning to her brother in his favorite armchair.

Len put down his book for a moment, looking Barry over. Len smirked mischievously, adjusting the collar of his teal turtleneck. “You look like a nerd.” he chuckled.

Lisa smacked him in the head with a book, making Barry blush harder. “Don’t worry about it, Barry. You look great.” Lisa smiled encouragingly.

Barry’s eyes turned to Mick as he entered the room, interested in everyone’s laughter. “What’s everybody laughing at?” he asked, looking to Len, who pointed at Barry.

Mick turned to Barry, giving him a onceover. Barry stood nervously still as Mick approached, checking him carefully. To his surprise, Mick pulled a small comb from his pocket, carefully combing Barry’s hair. “There.” he nodded proudly, allowing Len and Lisa to see.

“Perfect.” they both said in unison. Barry’s eyes lit up and he smiled, looking to Len.

“You look like Len in highschool.” Lisa chuckled.

“Really?” Barry asked, Mick handing him a picture. It looked to be Len, wearing a similar outfit, standing next to his graduating professors.

“My dad said I had to wear it. Either do that, or give up being Mick’s boyfriend.” Len explained.

“Boyfriend?” Barry asked, looking to Mick with a puzzled expression.

“Yes, Barry. But, we’re not boyfriends anymore. We’re husbands now.” Mick smirked, gently smooching Len on the cheek.

Barry smiled happily at Mick’s little gesture of love, watching Len blush for the first time in staying with the trio. “So, how long until people arrive?” Barry asked, handing the picture to Lisa.

“Probably around five minutes or so. Just camp out in Len and I’s room for now, we’ll come get ya in a few minutes.” Mick suggested, Barry heading off to the duo’s shared bedroom.

Just eight minutes later, the trio in the living room heard a knock on the door, of which Mick answered to find Shawna. “Mick, darling!” Shawna greeted, wrapping her arms around the man.

“Good to see ya, Shawna. Come on in.” Mick greeted, shooing the woman into the living room next to Lisa.

Len answered the door next, finding the Mardons, and Axel Walker awaiting his greeting. “Heya, Len, what’s up?” Axel asked, shaking Len’s hand.

“Lenny!” Clide and Mark shouted, bringing the thin man into a firm hug.

“Hey, guys. Good to have you over.” Len replied, inviting them in.

After a few seconds, there was another knock, and Samuel was at the door. “Samuel, hi.” Lisa greeted, smiling warmly. Samuel smiled back widely, gently kissing the woman’s hand. Lisa led the man inside, to Len and Mick, who were walking about serving drinks to the guests.

Barry could hear the people in the other room, chattering somewhat loudly amongst themselves. He was inspecting the numerous items scattered about Mick and Len’s dressers, examining each with strong detail.

He could feel his stomach growling, and the urging it demanded to have him feed. Sitting down on the bed, he leaned his head on his hands, groaning. Just a few seconds later, Len walked in, carefully easing open the door. “Barry?” Len asked, Barry looking up in shock.

“Oh, hey, Len.” Barry replied, leaning back on the bed a little.

“How are you feeling?” Len asked, moving to sit next to him on the bed.

“I’m good, really.” Barry replied somewhat quickly.

Len paused, raising an eyebrow at the youth. “ _Really_ ?” Len asked, smirking.

Barry nodded shyly, looking down at his hands. Len lifted three fingers, counting down the seconds. By the last second, Barry’s stomach let out a painfully loud growl. “Thought so. Barry, if you’re scared to ask, _not_ asking could be the thing that kills you.” Len advised.

“But, I really don’t-” Barry was silenced by a finger to his lips.

“ _Don’t_ lie to me, Barry. Don’t be afraid to ask.” Len cut in.

Barry looked at his feet, blushing shyly. Len waited for a few seconds before he hauled Barry into his lap, resting the youth against him.

“Len, wait! Hold on!” Barry cried in shock. Len looked down at Barry, his eyes glowing an icy blue. Len opened his mouth, trailing his tongue over his own pair of fangs, before he gently nuzzled Barry’s cheek.

Seeing his elder revealing his true nature, Barry did the same, looking up at him shyly. “There we go. Now, bite me.” Len instructed, pulling down the collar of his turtle-neck.

“What? I-” Barry began before Len silenced him with a firm gaze. Barry felt the protests leave his mind, his eyes tracing the Vulksrin’s pale neck instead.

Slowly, he leaned up, sinking his fangs into Len’s flesh. Len flinched slightly with the sting of Barry’s four fangs entering his skin, before he relaxed. “See? Not that hard.” Len smiled, stowing his own fangs and cloaking his eyes.

In the other room, Lisa tapped her fingernail against the side of her wine glass, gaining everyone’s attention. “Alright, now that you’re all here: we’ve got some news.” Lisa began.

“Go on, honey.” Shawna encouraged.

“As you’ve probably heard, we picked up a little newborn. Off the street, without a sire.” Lisa announced.

“Without a sire? That’s unheard of, nowadays.” Samuel commented.

“Thankfully, our little Barry hadn’t harmed a soul, for the _two_ years he’d been out there alone. Unfortunately, Barry doesn’t _have_ a sire.” Lisa added.

“Was he turned on accident?” Axel asked, curious.

“No, surprisingly. Barry was struck by lightning.” Mick cut in, smiling happily.

Everyone was silent for a moment before their eyes went wide. “He’s a newborn _Speedster_ ?” they shouted together.

“Yes!” Lisa exclaimed excitedly, accepting a hug from Shawna.

“Oh, congrats to you, darling!” the witch toasted happily.

“Good god, Mick. What have you gotten yourself into?” Samuel smiled, patting Mick on the back in a congratulatory manner.

“Me? Nothing. Len? He’s basically the kid’s mother at this point.” Mick grinned back.

“Can we see him? Can we see him?” Mark and Clide begged, their wolfy tails and ears pricked upward to the max height.

“Len’s probably feeding the darling right now, boys. Let me see if I can get a picture.” Lisa replied, pulling out her phone. She quietly entered Len’s bedroom, finding Len seated on the bed, Barry on his lap.

“Mind if I get a pic?” she asked.

Len frowned, shrugging. “Only if you don’t laugh.” he replied.

Barry was tucked comfortably against him, his small mouth latched against Len’s neck as he carefully fed himself, his hands curled against Len’s stomach.

“So adorable.” Lisa smiled, taking as many pictures as she could before she quickly exited the room. Upon returning to the living room, she passed her phone to Mark and Clide, watching their eyes go wide at the pictures of Barry.

“I think they can’t wait to meet him.” Mick grinned at the Aurum, amused with the reaction of the two young werewolves.

“He _is_ the baby of the family.” Lisa replied, taking another sip of wine. It wasn’t long before Len rejoined the party, followed by a meek-looking Barry. The young vampire was blushing furiously, trying to stay hidden behind his elder.

The moment he stepped out from behind Len, Mark and Clide tackled him to the floor, licking at his face like dogs, their werewolf tails flicking back and forth excitedly. “Sorry, they couldn’t help it.” Samuel smirked.

“Hey, Barry, I’m Clide!” Clide exclaimed.

“I’m Mark!” Mark added. After a second of fending off the brothers’ puppy licks, Barry watched the duo being hauled off him, Mick holding the boys at his sides.

“These are the Mardon brothers, Barry. Werewolf puppies are easily excited.” Mick grinned.

“Oh, okay. Well, I’m Bartholomew Henry Allen, but everybody just calls me Barry.” Barry explained to the brothers.

Mick forced the two werewolves to sit on the couch, Barry seated between them. Samuel approached Barry, holding out his hand for a shake. “Name’s Samuel, good to meet ya.” the man greeted, grinning friendly. Barry tentatively took the man’s hand, suddenly being pulled into a heavy bear hug.

“Newborns always fall for that. No harm in a hug, kiddo. Welcome to the family.” Samuel chuckled, ruffling Barry’s hair.

“Samuel likes hugs, Barry. The more powerful the Doppelkinder, the stronger the hug.” Mick explained, approaching with a woman at his side. The woman stepped forward, wrapping the youth in a hug, her large breasts effectively cutting off his oxygen.

“Hello, honey! I’m Shawna the witch, but call me Shawna.” she greeted, squeezing him thoroughly. When the witch finally released him, Barry pulled his face from her chest, his cheeks a bright red.

“She likes hugs, too, Barry. Don’t worry, you didn’t offend her.” Mick smiled, the woman smirking as she walked away.

Another young man approached Barry, looking quite mischievous. “Axel Walker, a Trickster, at your service.” the youth greeted, shaking Barry’s hand.

“Barry Allen. A Speedster at yours.” Barry replied.

“Good to see that people like you still exist. You look good.” Axel complemented.

“Thanks.” Barry replied, smiling warmly.

“Dinner’s ready!” Mick called from the kitchen, a towel over his shoulder. The table was neatly set for everyone, Barry seating himself between the Mardon brothers while the others scattered about the table.

“Do you like TV?” Clide asked.

“I really haven’t gotten a chance to watch any lately, but I’m more of a book person.” Barry replied.

“You have _got_ to watch this one show. Mark, what’s it called?” Clide asked, turning to his brother.

“Chopped. Professional cooking. Super cool to watch.” Mark replied.

“I bet Mick would do well on a show like that.” Barry replied.

“Barry’s having fun down there.” Mick whispered to Len, the Vulksrin smiling softly to himself.

“There’s some new hunters in the area. Quite the fearsome crew, I’ve heard.” Samuel stated, cutting into his meat.

“Caught six Ifrits down in the park. Killed them right in public, too.” Shawna added.

“Those people are nuts. They’ve really overstepped their bounds if they keep killing so much.” Lisa commented.

“I heard they were after someone specific, and the Ifrits were just in the way.” Mick added.

Len paused. “Did they say exactly who they were after?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They were putting up signs in the bars. Spreading word by mouth. Their prey got away, whoever it was.” Mick replied.

“One of my boys went in and did some digging through their records. They’ve been taking vampires from all over the city, stashing them somewhere. One of them escaped, but they never found him.” Axel commented.

“Written records?” Len asked.

“Yeah, lots of stuff.” Axel replied.

At the other end of the table, Barry swallowed an extremely large piece of meat, a section of it protruding from his throat as it passed to his stomach. “Dude, that looked painful.” Clide whined, flinching instinctively.

“It didn’t really. I’m used to that kind of stuff by now.” Barry replied casually.

“Because you’re a blood-sucker?” Mark asked.

“Yeah, I guess. Hey, you want to hear a joke?” Barry asked, the Mardons nodding excitedly.

“What do you call a sleeping werewolf? An unaware-wolf.” Barry smirked.

“Why don’t vampires scare people? Because they’re bored to death.” Clide shot back snarkily, high-fiving his brother.

“What happens when a werewolf swallows a clock? He gets ticks.” Barry answered, smiling proudly.

“A one-up for the pup!” Mark chuckled, patting Barry on the shoulder.

“What did the ghost say to the vampire? So long, sucker!” Clide laughed.

“How do you stop a werewolf from attacking you? Throw a stick and shout ‘Fetch!’!” Barry replied.

“Nice one.” Mark complimented his brother.

“What did the vampire think about hearing all these jokes? He sucks!” Clide exclaimed.

Barry’s hand flew to his heart, and he pretended to fall out of his chair, as if he’d been shot. Laughter boomed around the table, Barry slipping back into his chair with a quiet chuckle. “You’ve got some spunk, kid.” Mark complimented.

“Thank you. So do you guys.” Barry replied.

Once their time ended, the Mardons exited the house with a huge hug for the newborn, inviting him to a hunt sometime later. Barry waved goodbye as each of the guests left, happy with his new connections. “Thank you so much for tonight, guys. I had so much fun.” Barry confessed, hugging Len, Lisa, and Mick thoroughly.

“You’re our little newborn now, Barry. Don’t forget that.” Len smiled happily.

“Hey! How about some help with the dishes?” Lisa called from the kitchen.

“Coming!” Barry called, dashing forward with superspeed. Speed-washing the dishes, he found himself returning to the living room to find Shawna sitting beside Lisa, chatting with Len and Mick, in a more serious tone.

“Barry, you remember Shawna. She’s also a doctor, in a sense. She’d like to check up on some things, if you don’t mind.” Len explained.

“That’s okay with me.” Barry replied, moving to sit on the couch in front of the woman. He flinched as Shawna opened her bag, pulling several small tools out and lying them next to her.

“Open your mouth. I’d like to take a look at those pretty little fangs.” she ordered. Opening his mouth, Barry exposed his fangs, the woman lifting one of the tools to his lips. She seemed to be taking measurements, then nodded to herself, writing the measurements on her notepad.

“The length and width looks good. Any discomfort?” she asked. Barry shook his head, watching her tilt his head back and forth carefully.

“They’re proportionate. That’s good. Strong, too. It’s true that you have four now, but I can see more up in your gum-line. Maybe twenty or so. So, be expecting more as time goes on. It’ll take some time to get control of which ones you want to use, so rely on your lips for feeding for now. Okay?” she advised.

“Got it, mam.” Barry replied.

“There’s also this.” Mick stated, handing Shawna the towel housing Barry’s finger.

The woman unwrapped the appendage, holding it up so she could see it in the light. “A right pointer finger. You’re not missing it right now, are you?” she asked.

Barry shook his head, holding out his hand. Shawna compared the length, and nodded. “Interesting. How long did it take to regenerate it?” she asked.

“A couple of seconds. Maybe a minute.” Len replied.

“It didn’t decompose, which tells me that you have an extreme amount of cellular energy. I think it’s best that I do some tests on this, then return it later, alright?” Shawna offered, Mick and Len nodding.

“It seems like you’re a very healthy newborn, Barry. I would recommend being careful of your intake level, because it seems as if you might have an advanced metabolic rate. You’ll burn through blood faster, but just be aware that feeding too often could make you sick. Alright?” Shawna advised.

“Understood.” Barry replied, smiling happily.

“That’s good to hear, Shawna. Thank you for doing a check-up on him.” Lisa thanked, hugging the woman happily.

“As far as I can tell, he’s not showing any of the signs of the primal transformation, either. He may just be too young, but I’d keep an eye out for that. Make a strong bond with him, darling, you’re already doing great.” Shawna replied. Lisa showed Shawna to the door as Barry moved to the stairs, heading up to bed. 


	7. Libertas

**Chapter 7: Libertas**

A week later, Barry stood before Len, his eyes wide in shock. “I can go outside? By myself?” the newborn asked, shuddering in nervousness.

“Barry, you still have a life. Go for a walk, do something you love.” Len replied.

Barry basically jumped into the elder vampire’s arms, squeezing him tight. “Thank you!” Barry cried.

“Have fun, kiddo. Just be home by dinner, or text if you’re going to be later.” Mick called from the kitchen.

“Don’t talk to strangers.” Lisa warned as Barry raced to the door, pausing, his hand on the knob.

He had everything he needed: wallet, hoodie, phone. He was set, but he was nervous. He glanced back at Len, the elder vampire’s eyes tracking him carefully. Slowly, Len stood, moving to capture Barry in a firm hug.

“Go, we’ll be waiting for you when you get back.” Len encouraged, opening the door for the newborn.

With much nervousness, Barry stepped out into the warm sunshine. Pulling up his hood, he started walking, waving goodbye to Len as he closed the door. There was so many places he could visit: Jitters, the park, the station.

He paused. ‘Maybe not the station.’ he agreed.

He headed to the park, wandering around the various playgrounds as he watched the various families enjoying their morning. He smiled to himself as he bought an ice cream, settling down with a book he’d borrowed from the nearby library. Within minutes, the treat was gone, and he was buried in the book. His mind was occupied with numerous theories in the scientific field, which prevented him from hearing the faint footsteps of a visitor approaching him from behind.

“Hey, Barry. How’s it going?” Samuel asked, seating himself on the bench next to the newborn.

“Oh, hi, Samuel. I’m good. Just enjoying a beautiful day outside. What about you?” Barry replied politely.

“I’m just out enjoying a walk and some coffee. The Mardon brothers were giving me some trouble, so I thought I’d get away while I could.” Samuel replied.

“I understand. They _can_ be a little childish every now and then.” Barry smiled.

“You know, you’re a big deal, being here in the city, Barry.” Samuel stated.

“How so? People keep telling me that, but I’m not that special.” Barry replied.

“Nobody’s seen a Speedster for a long time, nevermind been around one like you and lived to tell about it. Speedsters are known to be the true embodiment of our world, in a sense. Hunters tracked them down first because they were so animalistic, so dangerous. To us, the lesser creatures, Speedsters were saints. They killed those that harmed us, kept our lands free of vermin, and sped up our technological age. Without them, there _wouldn’t_ be us.” Samuel explained.

“You seem like you used to know one.” Barry guessed.

“I did. He was a very good friend of mine. The hunters chased him off, tried to kill him. He didn’t speak until the day I saved his life. And the only words he told me were ‘thank you, friend’. From that day forward, I sometimes believe he made it off-world, or dimension or whatever. However Speedsters manage to do that, because I haven’t seen him since.” Samuel explained.

“What was he like?” Barry asked.

“Quiet and talkative all at the same time. Fiercely loyal to his family, and mine. He killed so many hunters just in his pursuit of keeping my family safe. I’ve long outlived my family, and since moved homes, but I know he would’ve followed me, just to make sure I was safe.” Samuel replied.

“He sounds like a nice guy.” Barry smiled, proud of his ancestry.

“He sure was. Anyway, I was looking through some old stuff, and I found one of his old notebooks. It’s written in gibberish, but I thought maybe you could read it.” Samuel explained, pulling a small notebook from his pocket. The book was wrapped neatly in some type of leathery binding, but a yellow and red crystal marked the centerpiece of the cover. Rubbing his thumb over the crystal, Barry’s eyes lit up when the binding split, allowing him to browse the pages.

“It’s mostly about his travels. His name is-” Barry began before Samuel cut in.

“Eobard Thawne. That’s his name. Does the book detail where he went?” Samuel asked. Barry sped-flipped through the pages, finding several at the back to be blank. Flipping to the last marked page, Barry carefully read the strange script, the symbols rearranging to form words in his brain:

_Dear Samuel,_

_As a friend, and dear companion to your family for many years, I know you will be saddened by the knowledge that I must leave your planet. The hunters, primarily the Council of Venatores, is seeking out my kin to wipe out yours. If they get their hands on another Speedster, another of Savitar’s children, another child of Speed, they could very well end your reality as you know it. As of now, I am making preparations to rejoin you in your world, so that I may bring you to mine, or rather, the one I came from. I wish you to be safe, Samuel, and I will return for you soon._

_~Eobard Thawne_

_PS: If you find another like myself, give them this book. It contains information that they will need to know, however unlikely it is that you will find another like me. Be safe, Samuel._

Barry read the letter out loud, and soon found Samuel smiling at him, albeit in sadness. “I didn’t know that he was still looking out for me in his own world. I will do as he asks. Barry, keep the book, I believe it will help you on your journey in life. But, promise me that you’ll come talk, if you need to.” Samuel stated.

Nodding, Barry took Samuel’s cracked hands in his own. “I promise, Samuel.” he vowed.

Samuel nodded, quickly excusing himself with a phone call from the Mardon brothers. “See you later, boy.” Samuel smiled as he walked away.

“Bye, Samuel!” Barry called as the man left him.

Barry chose to go on a quick walk before heading home, finding himself wandering through the many streets of Central, before he found himself standing in his old neighborhood. His mind was so occupied that he didn’t register the sensation of his phone buzzing in his pocket, his eyes locked on a particular building he stood in front of. Though eerily burn and decaying, it still stood as a symbol of the Allen family’s resilience. It was still vacant, burnt, and the windows were still shattered from that true night of terror. The mailbox hadn’t been stolen yet, lying untouched in the dirt front yard. The fence was scorched, the white paint crinkled and scattered about the surrounding sidewalk.

Carefully opening the gate, Barry approached the creaky house, the letters on the front door still reading his parents’ last names. The front door had been removed, probably by the firefighters while his house burned. Grazing his hand over the open door frame, Barry found a sense of sadness creeping over him. Glancing into the first still-standing room inside the house, Barry spotted several of his old toys on the floor. The paintings had been stolen or burned, and most of the furniture had been destroyed. His mother had died here, watching TV, with his father.

It was his tenth birthday. She’d made the cake. His father had decorated when he got home. Barry walked in the door to find the house quiet, his parents missing. He’d traveled the house, eventually finding them in the living room. His mother’s wine glass was on the floor, spilled. His father was curled beside her, both their bodies having been stabbed multiple times. Their blood had seeped into the carpet, staining his mother’s favorite room of the house. Barry had called the police. The police investigated, but found no suspects. Their only evidence was Barry, because when he’d left, his birthday cake had burned in the oven, setting the house ablaze. The fire department arrived, only to find two already-dead bodies in the living room.

The stairs of the house were still intact, and Barry found himself walking up them, trailing his hand up the torched wooden railing. His bedroom was gone, having been dropped to the floor below when the house burned. His parents’ room still remained, though only slightly burned. Their bed still had the nice covers on it, but their paintings and other furniture had been stolen or sold. He sat on the bed, looking over the closet, when he noticed something poking out of the closet corner.

A small box, made of wood, was tucked underneath a hidden panel in the wall, the wall having been melted due to the heat of the fire. The box was in plain view now, and Barry moved to pick it up. Carefully opening it, he found several items inside: a picture of his parents on their wedding day, an old birthday card, and _something_ else. The strange item was a small ring, golden in color, and decked with a small symbol carved into the top. The symbol was a lightning bolt turned about thirty degrees to the right, scarlet against the gold of the ring. Holding it gingerly in his hand, Barry carefully looked over the card.

It was a tenth birthday card, wishing him a happy life, and gifting him the ring for his birthday. Barry smiled as he slipped on the ring, finding it a perfect fit for his middle finger. “Thanks, mom and dad. I love it.” he whispered, tears pricking in his eyes. He sat on the bed, stroking the present gingerly as he sobbed out his pain.

Looking up, he was suddenly startled by the full-length mirror his mother owned, still standing in the corner of the room. He smiled, remembering the day when she’d dressed him up in a child’s suit for his choir performance.

Scanning the reflection in the slightly-cracked surface, Barry’s eyes caught on a small hole in his parent’s bedframe. It was situated on his father’s side, just above the head. It didn’t look like damage had been done to the headboard, but a notch had been specifically cut out to fit the size of Barry’s ring. Pressing the ring into the notch, Barry watched in shock as the boards shifted away, revealing a small compartment built into the wall behind the bed.

A large book was settled into the compartment, a thick layer of dust having gathered on the cover from years of going untouched. Lifting the book into his lap, Barry blew the dust off, laying eyes upon the cover. The cover harbordered an image of his parents, taken just after Barry himself was born. Opening the book, Barry discovered at least a hundred images of himself, his mother, and his father, all detailing the happiness of his childhood. Each image he viewed only brought him another good memory, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Flipping to the last page, he found several blank, all ending on his tenth birthday. The pictures that were supposed to be taken never made it in.

Gingerly taking the book into his arms, Barry quietly left the house, moving to head back home. He sped through the city until he arrived at the front door of the warehouse, sliding his key into the lock and emerging into the living room. Len, Lisa, and Mick were scattered about, apparently in a deep conversation before he interrupted them.

Upon sighting the newborn, Len shot to his feet, his eyes glowing in his worry. “Where on earth were you, Barry? We were worried sick!” he snapped.

Shrinking away from the man, Barry looked down at the floor, remaining silent. He moved to head upstairs, Mick blocking his path.

“You weren’t answering your phone. You’re very late. _And_ ya look like you’re about to cry. What’s going on, kid?” Mick asked, offering Barry a concerned glance.

“I-I-” Barry began, holding the book closer. Mick took a step forward, Len gesturing for him to stop.

“ _Don’t_ , Mick. He’s too fragile.” Len warned. Mick looked to Barry with sad eyes, gently pulling him into a hug.

“If ya need to talk, then talk. If ya don’t want to, then don’t.” Mick stated. With those words, Barry’s eyes began pouring out tears, soft sobs leaving his lips as he pressed his face into Mick’s chest.

Mick guided him to the lounge chair, leaning the youth against him while he sobbed. “It’s okay, Barry. It’s okay to be sad.” Lisa cooed, smiling as the youth sobbed.

Eventually, Barry passed out from the emotional drainage, snuggling against Mick on the couch while Lisa retrieved a blanket, his cheek pressed firmly against the Verdehile’s sternum. “He’s hurting so much. It’s so sad. It's draining him so much that he's exhausted.” Len sighed, Mick smirking at him while the Aurum tucked the blanket under Barry’s chin.

“Mick’s a living source of heat. It’ll be good for Barry to rest against him. He needs to get out that pain, whatever it’s coming from.” Lisa replied, settling the blanket over the duo.

Mick’s eyes traveled to the book Barry had set on the coffee table, raising an eyebrow. “What’s that?” he asked, Len picking up the book and opening it carefully.

He was quiet for a moment while he flipped through several of the pages, examining the images. “It’s his family.” Len explained, showing several of the photos to Mick and Lisa.

“They looked like a happy family.” Lisa stated, smiling fondly in Barry’s direction.

“Yeah. Something must’ve happened to them, or him. Best not to pry. He’ll talk when he wants to.” Mick advised, Len nodding in agreement.

“I’m going to head to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetheart.” Len smirked, gently kissing Mick on the forehead.

“Goodnight, babe.” Mick replied, letting a deep rumble vibrate through his chest in his contentment.

“Dulce somnii, boys.” Lisa wished, flicking off the lamp beside the lounge chair and creeping off to her own bedroom. 


	8. Consilio

**Chapter 8: Consilio**

Bored, Barry spent the day busying himself in the kitchen. He cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the family, even going as far as to bake a batch of brownies for the council meeting later that day. “Who taught you to cook, Barry?” Mick asked, taking his first bite of the newborn’s crusted herb chicken.

“My adoptive dad, mostly.” Barry replied.

“It’s so good.” Lisa smiled, digging into her steamed vegetables.

“Very flavorful, Barry. Well done.” Len complimented.

“I’m happy you like it.” Barry grinned proudly.

“Who’s your adoptive dad? Must be some professional chef, by the taste of things.” Mick asked.

“Joe West. He has two biological kids-” Barry began before Len cut in.

“Iris and Walter West, right?” Len asked. The table was silent in shock.

“You _know_ them?” Barry asked.

“Know them, Barry? I’m friends with Joe. Well, more like territorial acquaintances, but still. We have met, and are familiar, with each other. They’re what we call Eudaemons, good demons, essentially.” Len answered.

“Detective West is one of the council members. A head leader here in the city. I can’t believe you don’t know about him.” Mick smirked.

“We’re taking you there later today, so you’ll have a chance to meet with him again. He has a habit of bringing Iris and Wally with him, too.” Lisa added.

“Wait, I’m going with you?” Barry asked.

“Yeah. The Council of Creatura needs to see you in person. It’s a big deal: having a Speedster around, especially a newborn one.” Mick replied.

“The council is made of various leaders of our community, usually those who live in the higher sectors, or control the poorer sectors. They’re basically the territory leaders, but we call them princeps. They’re responsible for controlling the land they protect, and making sure everyone’s happy within it.” Len explained.

“These people are the biggest snobs ever, Barry. They’re rude, obnoxious, and old. They think of themselves as royalty, and look down on the people of the lower systems. When they see you, they’ll think of you as a god, I’m sure of it.” Lisa grinned excitedly.

“However, not all of them are likely to see you like that. Some will think of you as a little kid, and treat you as such. Being a newborn has its perks, though, so don’t worry about being rude. If you are, we’ll correct you.” Len assured him.

Mick handed him a piece of paper, listing around a hundred rules. “What are these?” Barry asked.

“Study them. They’re the rules of our society. We’re based on strict rules, however, they can be bent or broken depending on the circumstances.” Mick explained.

“There’s usually harsh punishment that comes with breaking a rule, so be careful.” Len warned.

“I also picked up some more clothes for you, for tonight.” Lisa added.

“Thanks, Lisa. I’ll have these down by tonight, I promise.” Barry promised. Barry moved to stand up and head upstairs, pausing when he lay eyes on his brownies.

“Um, Len? Can I bring a gift to the council?” he asked.

“Like what?” Len asked.

“I made brownies.” Barry replied.

“We’ll see if they want them.” Len replied, nodding his agreement.

Just an hour later, they group pulled up to the Centralis building, a skyscraper of fifteen floors. The windows were cleverly tinted to avoid any eavesdropping by the outside world, the walls made of black steel. Once inside, the crew traversed the lobby, packing into the elevator. Every businessman and woman seemed to be in a rush within the building, so Barry made no move to greet anyone within its walls. On arrival to the fifteenth floor, the group headed to the receptionist desk, which was manned by a man and a woman. The woman was young and thin, sporting long, white hair and blue lips. The man was also young, with long black hair and a pair of some type of techy sunglasses on. He wore a TV shirt. “Caitlin, Cisco, hello. Here for today’s meeting.” Len greeted politely.

“Welcome, sir. Door’s unlocked. Any instructions?” Caitlin asked.

“Looking good today, Mick.” Cisco complemented.

“Thanks, man.” Mick smiled happily.

“Wait for my instructions, and then send in Barry here. Special significance.” Len replied.

“Understood, sir. You’re the last to arrive. Detective West was insistent on bringing his children. They are here under his parental guidance.” Caitlin replied.

“Thank you. Barry, wait here. Cisco and Caitlin will look after you until it’s time to let you in.” Len ordered.

Barry nodded politely, smiling friendly at Cisco and Caitlin as Lisa, Mick, and Len vanished down the hall. “I’m Barry. Nice to meet you.” Barry greeted, shaking Cisco and Caitlin’s hands.

“Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow.” Cisco smiled back, shaking Barry hand.

“Pleasure.” Caitlin greeted, smiling shyly.

“I like the sunglasses.” Barry complimented.

“ _These_ are not sunglasses, my man! _These_ are state of the art Vibe specs perfectly adjusted to my dimensional energy.” Cisco boasted.

“What?” Barry asked.

“He’s basically saying that they’re special sunglasses that let him jump dimensions.” Caitlin translated.

“Oh, cool. So, you’re a Vibe, then?” Barry asked. Cisco nodded proudly, opening a portal, sticking his hand into it, then retracting a soda.

“She’s Frost Elemental.” Cisco explained, gesturing to Caitlin.

“My codename is Killer Frost, thank you.” Caitlin smiled snarkily.

“Oh-kay, Killer Frost.” Cisco grinned sarcastically.

“Well, I’m Barry, the newborn.” Barry smiled warmly.

“The newborn what?” Cisco asked.

“Speedster.” Barry replied.

Cisco dropped his soda abruptly, grabbing both sides of Barry’s face. “You’ve got to be kidding me! I didn’t think Speedsters would be so non-animalistic-killing-and-eating-me kind of people.” he exclaimed, stretching Barry’s cheeks out in excitement.

“Well, I haven’t really grown up like that, you know?” Barry smiled shyly.

“Don’t worry about it, Barry. Cisco’s just being weird. He likes scary creatures. Personally, I think Speedsters are incredibly powerful.” Caitlin complimented.

“Thank you, Caitlin.” Barry smiled in response.

Within the council room, Len, Lisa, and Mick entered almost silently, basically interrupting a heated conversation between several territory leaders in the process. Mick carefully set the brownies down in the center of the table, seating himself beside Len, while Lisa sat on his other side. “Mr. Snart, glad to see you’re still alive.” Mr. West greeted.

“Thank you. These are from the newborn we’ve been taking care of. A gift, so to speak.” Len explained, gesturing to the brownies.

As each territory leader grabbed a brownie, with Mr. West’s children included, Len’s eyes scanned everyone in the room: Detective Joe West, Iris West, Walter West, Henry Darrow, George Harkness, Orlin Dwyer, Clifford DeVoe, Aaron Douglas, Erik Razar, Roscoe Dillion, Ramsey Rosso, Mick, and Lisa. All ten territory leaders were present. “Why are we here, Snart?” Darrow asked.

He was calm, but demanded an answer. Len placed his elbows on the table, folding his hands together. “I’ve called you all to this meeting because we have a serious situation on our hands. My family discovered a newborn, about two years old, on the streets of our sector, without a sire.” Len explained.

“It must be a rare species, for you to call us here. Without a sire is a dire situation indeed.” Razar agreed.

“I’m assuming, because the rumors state you took it into your home, that it’s some form of a vampiric species.” Douglas guessed.

“That’s true. However, he’s not rare, he’s part of an extinct species.” Len replied.

“You must be joking.” Dillion scoffed.

“There’s no possible way they still exist. They were wiped out, extinguished from this planet. Last we searched, there wasn’t a single one left in this world, for centuries.” Harkness barked.

“There’s a chance. We have no proof that they were _all_ wiped out.” DeVoe replied, nodding for Len to continue.

“You’re talking about a Speedster, sir. Do you have evidence?” Iris asked, causing Len to smile.

“Yes, I do, young Ms. West. As per protocol, my family brought him with me, and he is currently waiting to be brought in.” Len replied.

“She’s on top of things.” Lisa complimented, Joe smiling proudly.

“She always is. Wally’s following in her footsteps, too.” Joe smirked. Wally was scribbling quickly in a small notebook he held, making notes of the conversation, his eyes unable to look up for the moment.

“By the way, Leonard, these treats are bloody delicious!” Dwyer grinned happily.

“Help yourselves to more. I’ll have the newborn brought in in the meantime.” Len replied.

Leaning forward, Len pressed a button on the phone in the center of the table, speaking clearly to the microphone. “Send him in, please.” he requested.

“You got it, boss.” Cisco replied.

“There are many things to ask him, but let’s not bombard him.” Joe suggested.

“Of course, Detective. He is only a newborn, after all. He’s most likely not used to being around our kind, yet.” Darrow replied, the others nodding in agreement.

Barry was led up to the door by Cisco and Caitlin, who waited patiently for him to steel himself before they unlocked the door with a buzzer. “Don’t be intimidated.” Caitlin advised.

“These people might be snobs, but they’ll respect you. You’re rarer than the rarest.” Cisco advised.

“Okay.” Barry replied, smiling meekly.

Quietly opening the heavy wooden door, Barry stepped into the room. The council’s meeting room looked more like a conference room, dressed up for people of higher status. Upon emerging into the room, every voice paused, and all eyes turned to stare expectantly at him. He could effectively hear every single person’s heartbeat in the room, without wanting to. “Um, hello?” Barry offered meekly, waving at the large group of people awaiting his greetings. Hearing his voice, Iris and Wally looked up from their notes and gazed at him in shock.

“What the hell?” Wally blurted, confused.

“Barry? What-how are you here?” Iris asked, shocked.

“Barr, what’s going on here? Where’ve you been?” Joe asked, startled by the appearance of the newborn.

Len came to Barry’s defense, Barry’s eyes lingering on the floor in embarrassment. “Detective West, this is the newborn my family has taken in. Until recently, we didn’t know he was adopted by your family. Due to our connection, we thought it would be best to bring him here, in order for you to view his progress.” Len explained.

“Progress? You’ve been keeping him from us, this whole time?” Iris snapped, somewhat angrily.

Biting his lip, Barry felt a small burst of anger gathering in his stomach. “No, Iris. _I_ didn’t come home because it wasn’t safe. It wasn’t safe for me, or you, or Joe, or Wally. I could’ve hurt you all, or killed you, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that happened. I didn’t trust myself. It-it wasn’t _safe_ .” Barry explained, voice meek and weak.

“You could’ve come home! We would’ve taken care of you!” Wally snapped.

“Wally, calm down. There’s a good explanation for this.” Joe snapped, looking to Barry to explain further.

Barry glanced to Len with a pleading expression, silently asking for help. “If Barry had returned to you in the state he was in, it would’ve been minutes before someone ended up dead. Given his current state, and the amount of training we’ve done with him, he is free to do that now, if he so chooses.” Len explained, directing his words towards Joe, Wally, and Iris.

“Don’t be angry with Len, Mick, or Lisa, guys. They’ve taught me a lot, and helped me come to terms with what happened to me. I’m not scared of what I am anymore.” Barry added.

“Nobody’s angry with you, Barry.” Joe replied, his expression softening.

“Child, why don’t you explain what happened to you? We don’t entirely understand the circumstances which created you, so your account will help greatly.” Razar suggested, gesturing to a chair across from him.

Barry carefully seated himself, locking his eyes on his lap. “Take your time.” Mick encouraged.

“Deep breaths.” Lisa advised.

Sucking in a deep breath, Barry felt his body relax, and he recounted his story of being in the woods, where the bolt of lightning struck him, and where he woke up in chains and escaped back to the city.

“This is quite a concerning story.” Dillion stated, writing down the details of the story.

“They weren’t after him, specifically, until he was struck by the lightning. Until that occurred, they turned their attention to him. To them, it was a specific marker for something that they were looking for.” DeVoe explained.

“Indeed. It seems that they were chasing a bloodlusting vampire, at first, though. Perhaps that is the pattern they were looking for?” Razar suggested.

“Not possible, _exactly_ what they were trying to do. The second Barry woke up, this ‘Alchemy’ offered to feed him, before he even knew what he was. They’re the group forcing vampires into bloodlust, then killing them. I’m sure of it.” Rosso cut in.

“Why would they force vampire into a bloodlusting state, then kill them?” Mick asked.

“If they were looking for a Speedster, a bloodlusting Speedster would be the most dangerous form of a bloodlusting vampire.” Darrow explained.

“What’s bloodlust?” Barry asked.

“When vampires drink too much in too short of a time, or they’re force-fed to the point that they’re sent into a feeding frenzy, they get a disease among us called ‘bloodlust’.” Lisa explained.

Barry raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I could get bloodlust.” Barry suggested.

“Why not?” Douglas asked.

“He would burn through the blood too fast for it to stay in his system. It’d be gone before he could get the disease.” Mick replied, shocked by his own mental capacity. Barry smiled at him proudly.

“They’re immune, then. What else would they be trying to do?” Dwyer asked.

“If Speedster’s are known for their animalistic behavior, what if they were trying to force that transformation?” Wally suggested.

“How so?” Harkness asked.

“Speedsters have a second form, right? Until a couple centuries ago, they didn’t have a human form. They were just embodiments of pure creatura instinct. So, if the human form is new to them, their purest form would remain their instinct form.” Wally explained.

“And the only way to trigger a transformation in a vampire is-” Len began.

“By consuming blood, beginning a hunting party, or triggering an intense emotional disbalance in the vampire’s body.” Mick finished for him.

“Has he even achieved pieces of the transformation process, yet?” Joe asked, concerned.

“He’s gained the speed, and some of the teeth.” Lisa replied.

“Barry, how many teeth do you have now?” Len asked. Barry traced a finger over the secret teeth hidden in his gums.

Shocked, he blushed. “Fifteen, maybe?” he guessed.

“At this point, we should avoid any form of an emotional trigger. That’s the biggest concern, currently. It’s best that Barry remains with the Snart family, as it seems they have the greatest bond as of late.” DeVoe suggested.

The other members of the table nodded in agreement, though Iris and Wally only looked at each other with sad expressions. “Avoid any and all contact with old friends. Keep alert. If anything happens, contact Leonard, Lisa, or Mick. Do not leave their sight, for any reason.” Razar warned.

“As far as we know, the people after Barry could very well be after him to kill, or capture. The Council of Venatores are dangerous people. If they get their hands on a Speedster newborn, our world will be engulfed by chaos.” Rosso sighed sadly.

Suddenly, the door buzzed open and Cisco burst in, bowing his head in embarrassment. “Um, hey, sorry for bursting in like that, but we’ve got a situation in the lobby.” he blurted hurriedly. 


	9. Tribulatio

**Chapter 9: Tribulatio**

“What’s going on?” Len asked.

“As per the lobby’s report: there’s a pair of hunters in the lobby, shooting down anyone who tries to escape.” Caitlin replied, sticking her head in the door.

“Any demands?” Mick asked.

“None so far.” Cisco replied.

“Hunters shouldn’t even be in this building. This place holds some of the most powerful creatures in the world.” Rosso reasoned.

“Well, they had the guts to do it, so there must be a reason. However, we don’t have to deliberate that right now. Lisa? Take the princeps, Barry, and the West children out the emergency exit, using the exit stairs. Assume the hunters have cut off access to the elevator.” Len explained.

“You got it.” Lisa nodded, moving to stand.

“Detective West, Mick? Care to join me in dispatching the intruders?” Len offered.

Mick cracked his knuckles, smiling wickedly. “I would love to, darling.” Mick grinned.

“Of course.” Joe replied.

“Dad, you’re not leaving us with them, are you?” Iris asked, concern lacing her tone.

“These people are stronger than you can ever imagine, Iris. We’re Eudaemons, but these people are among the elite. Trust them, I do.” Joe replied, patting her shoulder assuringly.

“Don’t die, alright?” Wally pleaded, Joe hugging him tight.

The princeps quickly followed Lisa out the door, Iris and Wally following behind them, with Barry trailing behind silently. Creeping down the emergency stairs, the groups’ footsteps tapped against the metallic floor like raindrops, Cisco and Caitlin joining them at the halfway mark. The stairwell exit emerged just a couple dozen feet from the lobby’s exit, which gave the group some chance of escape. Lisa peeked out the door, checking to see if their path was clear. There were several bodies lying on the ground, pools of blood surrounding them. Seeing nobody around, she quickly sent the first group: Darrow, Harkness, Wally, Rosso, Dwyer, Iris, Douglas, Razar, Dillion, and DeVoe, racing for the exit.

She bit her lip as they slipped out without a sound, the entire lobby remaining silent in their stead. ‘Why the hell isn’t there a guard?’ she pondered, peeking out from the stairwell door again. Suddenly, a door opened on the opposite side of the lobby, and a pair of hooded figures emerged into the room. One was clad in a dark green, armed with a combat bow, and metallic-looking arrows dressed in the same color. The other was clad in red, seeming to be a female.

“You sure? I mean, we’ve watched at least a dozen people run out the door.” the red clad hunter asked the other.

“Speedy, there’s a reason to be quiet and stealthy. When you have a target as dangerous as this, triggering them could mean life or death.” the other replied.

“I know, Green, but seriously? You want _me_ to act like a babysitter? The council may be our superiors, but they’re assholes, for sure. This kid really must mean a lot to them.” Speedy replied.

Green sighed, seemingly annoyed. “Yes, this _kid_ does mean a lot to them. Get your act together.” Green scolded.

In that second, while the duo were distracted with each other, Lisa gestured for group two to run for the exit. Cisco and Caitlin launched forward, racing beside each other for their chance to escape to freedom. In just a second, Green whipped around, drawing an arrow from his quiver and taking aim at Cisco. In slow motion, Barry watched the man release an arrow, the sharp dagger-like weapon flying towards his newfound friend.

In a burst of speed, Barry lunged forward, catching the arrow before it impaled itself into Cisco’s shoulder. Cisco paused, nodding to him in thanks quickly before he dashed out the door behind Caitlin.

“Barry!” Lisa cried, racing to defend the newborn. Green seemed surprised by Barry’s pure speed, but quickly composed himself. He notched another arrow and took aim at the newborn, taking a step forward.

“Green, he’s just a kid. Like, an actual kid.” Speedy protested.

“He’s our target, Speedy. Did you see the way he moved? There’s no chance that he’s _not_ our target.” Green snapped back.

Speedy was silent, drawing her bow and taking aim at Barry. “On your knees, kid.” Green demanded.

“Don’t do it, Barry.” Lisa growled, moving to stand protectively in front of the newborn.

“Why? I could stop all this.” Barry argued.

“If you go with them, you’ll erase all hope of our lives ever existing like this again.” Lisa snapped back.

“I-I don’t understand.” Barry sighed.

“Trust me, Barry, you don’t want to-” Lisa began before she jerked awkwardly. Leaning slightly forwards, she braced herself against the stone pillar they stood next to, resting a hand on her side.

“Lisa!” Barry cried, shocked.

“I-I’m okay, Barry.” Lisa stated softly, blood beginning to ooze from her backside onto the floor.

“No, you’re not okay, Lisa! Lie down!” Barry snapped, helping the Aurum lie on the floor on her side. Two arrows were wedged in the woman’s back, blood oozing from her wounds. Lisa’s breath was becoming shallower by the second, the Aurum struggling to stay away.

“Lisa! Lisa, stay with me!” Barry pleaded, tears coming to his eyes.

“R-run, Barry.” Lisa whispered, her eyes closing as she passed out.

The elevator opened on the other side of the lobby and Len, Mick, and Joe emerged from it, looking to have been through somewhat of a scuffle somewhere else in the building. Upon laying eyes on Lisa, Len growled threateningly at the two hunters. “Take a step back!” he snapped, eyes flashing blue in his rage.

“We’re here for the kid, that’s all.” Green explained.

“Fuck that! Back off, assholes!” Mick snapped, his head lighting on fire. Joe cocked his sidearm threateningly.

“Green, we’re outnumbered.” Speedy whispered.

“Outnumbered, but not outskilled.” Green whispered back, notching another arrow. He quickly took aim at Mick, firing. The arrow embedded itself into the Verdehile’s shoulder, drawing blood. Mick stumbled back, barely fazed.

“Mother fucker!” he hissed, clutching his arm in pain. Len quickly pushed him behind one of the stone pillars scattered about the lobby, Joe taking cover behind another.

Barry felt something in his body snap. It was like a mirror shattered inside him, and he quickly felt the lightning in his body spreading over him, covering him in a coat of shiny scarlet skin. The skin was decorated with golden lightning bolts on the wrists, hips, shins, shoulders, and forehead, covering his hair with a smooth dome. His ears sank into the skin, replaced by a small golden wing-like node on each side of his head. He felt his mouth split up his cheeks at least another two inches, his dozens of fangs sliding from his gums to fill his mouth with needle-like teeth.

With a demonic screech, Barry rammed his body against Green, sending the hunter flying across the room. As the man impacted the wall, his back left a crater, some pieces of the wall tumbling down as he slipped back onto his feet dizzily. Terrified, Speedy took a step back, holding her bow out in front of her. Barry turned to the woman, baring his fangs in an animalistic growl. As he stepped towards her, an arrow flew past him, embedded itself into the wall between them.

“Don’t you _dare_ touch her.” Green hissed angrily, notching another three arrows. Firing, Green took cover behind a pillar while Barry lunged towards him, sliding aside from his projectiles while keeping his momentum. Barry raced around the pillar, ducking under Green’s bow swing, and snapping his jaws down on the man’s shoulder. His fangs drew blood as he bit down, drawing a sense of satisfaction from the newborn while the man hissed in pain.

To his surprise, Green tossed the newborn over his shoulder, drawing a knife from his belt. Rolling aside, Barry dodged a stab to his chest, hissing as Green challenged him with the knife. “It’s my duty to take you in.” Green growled, slashing professionally at Barry with the sharp blade.

Barry dodged expertly as the man attacked, slamming his smooth dome of a head into the man’s stomach. While Green tried to regain his breath, Barry wrapped his clawed hand around the man’s throat, squeezing roughly. Slowly, Green began to choke, pulling weakly at the newborn’s grip. “Barry! Stop, that’s enough!” Len cried to the newborn’s right, drawing his attention.

In one quick move, Speedy notched an arrow, and fired. The projectile embedded itself into Barry’s neck, injecting him with some strange fluid. “Three thousand milligrams of horse tranquilizer. That should definitely put you out for awhile.” Green smirked as Barry sank to the floor.

As he blacked out, Speedy notched more arrows, firing rapidly at Len, Mick, and Joe while Green tossed the newborn over his shoulder and made for the backdoor. “Let’s go!” Green called from the emergency back exit, holding the door open for his comrade.

As Len and Joe emerged from their hiding spot and raced through the door, they watched a black van pulling out of the alley where the backdoor exited. Joe fired a few shots into the van, his bullets having no effect on the metallic surface. “Damnit!” the Detective exclaimed, biting his lip in frustration.

Len raced back inside without another thought, the Detective following closely behind him. “Where are you going?” Joe asked, confused.

Len glanced around the lobby for a moment before he dashed to Lisa’s side, holding her close. “Lisa, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” Len whispered, tears pricking in the man’s eyes.

Mick lumbered his way over to the duo, the arrow still embedded in his shoulder. Officers flooded the lobby in seconds, checking the bodies of the people littering the floor, before hauling the Verdehile off to the hospital. “Sir, we need to get her on a stretcher. She still has a pulse.” a paramedic advised Len, the princep nodding his agreement.

As a pair of paramedics lifted Lisa onto a stretcher, the woman opened her eyes and smiled mischievously. “I’m not dead yet, jackass.” she chuckled.

“It hurts, though, doesn’t it?” Len asked, concerned.

“Like a bitch.” Lisa grinned back.

“You lost a lot of blood.” Len sighed.

“Motherfuckers shot me. I owe them some payback.” Lisa growled.

“Not right now. We need to find Barry, and you need to get patched up.” Len advised. Lisa sighed, but nodded weakly.

“I’ll see you at the hospital. Mick’s already headed there.” Len replied.

“Be safe.” Lisa wished, smiling softly.

“I will. You too.” Len answered, watching the paramedic wheel his sister away. 


	10. Potentia

**Chapter 10: Potentia**

Barry woke up feeling dizzy. His eyes were unfocused, and he was curled inwardly on himself, his body still locked in the weird Speedster form. As he sat up, he groaned as his head spun, making him sick.

‘Don’t throw up, don’t throw up.’ he told himself, managing to stabilize his stomach as he looked around.

He was sitting on some kind of stone floor, exposed to the wilderness on all sides. Etched into the floor were a series of strange carvings, painted white so they were visible. He was surrounded on all sides by torches, and those mysterious robed figures.

Alchemy stood at the head of the group, standing behind a small pedestal made of stone, which seemed to be holding a large book. Moving to stand, Barry quickly found his wrists and ankles chained to the floor, as well as his neck. Four or so hunters positioned in the ring of robed figures drew their weapons, clearly distressed by the sight of Barry attempting to move.

“Stand down.” Alchemy barked, turning his attention to the newborn. Barry growled threateningly at the man, the growl rumbling throughout his chest.

“Calm yourself, newborn. As you have yet to learn of our true desires, we have yet to learn of your true power.” Alchemy explained.

‘What’s that supposed to mean? You drugged me!’ Barry hissed internally, pulling against his chains.

Alchemy sighed, annoyed by Barry’s desire for combat. “We drugged you for a reason. You wouldn’t come willingly, and for that, I apologize.” Alchemy stated.

Barry paused. ‘You apologize? Seriously?’ he thought, confused.

“Our true intentions for you are to summon our god. Our god, and your ancestor: Savitar, the God of Speed. With his power, we can reverse the putrid control the creatura have on this planet, and bring this world into everlasting peace.” Alchemy explained.

“And how do you expect to do that?” a familiar voice asked from outside the circle.

Whipping his head around, Barry spotted Len standing just a few dozen feet away. “Why is it your business?” Alchemy asked.

Len sighed, smirking. “It’s not. You’ve kidnapped _my_ newborn, and plan to use him for devilish things? What kind of a sire would I be, if I wasn’t concerned?” Len asked back.

Barry almost smiled at that. ‘Your newborn.’ he thought, his heart warming a little.

“Our gods are none of your concern, Vulksrin. However, you will play the part we desire, either willingly or not.” Alchemy snapped, the hunters surrounding Barry moving towards Len threateningly.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.” Len hissed. Barry shifted in his chains, growling at the hunters.

“And why not?” Alchemy asked.

“He’s in a very vulnerable state. If you attack the one he deems his sire, you’re going to unleash one hell of a storm you don’t want aimed your way.” Len smirked.

“It’s true, Alchemy.” Speedy said, speaking up from the crowd.

Alchemy noted the woman’s opinion and nodded, gesturing for Len to join them up on the raised platform. “Join us, then, in summoning our god.” Alchemy invited.

Len nodded, walking swiftly up the stone stairs and settling himself down next to Barry. Alchemy began reading pages from the book upon the pedestal, the carvings on the ground beginning to glow in response.

Barry looked to Len with a concerned expression, the Vulksrin taking hold of the newborn’s hand and holding it close. “Trust me.” Len whispered.

To Barry’s surprise, Alchemy stepped down from the pedestal and walked up to him, a dagger in his hand. “Give me your hand.” he demanded.

Cautiously, Barry offered the man his hand, Alchemy’s blade slicing across his flesh with a smooth swooshing sound. As Barry’s blood dripped onto the ground, the newborn whimpered, watching as the blood spread into the carvings and began to form a circle around him.

“Savitar, we call upon you! Enter our world and grant us the power to cleanse this dreadful planet of the monsters humanity fears!” Alchemy cried, raising his arms to the sky.

A huge bolt of lightning launched from the clouds and struck the ground next to Barry, blue in color and huge in width. As the lightning dissipated, a gigantic figure rose from a kneeling position, looking around. It looked almost to be made of metal, glowing blue throughout the ribs, eyes, and mouth, and harboring huge claws. It looked to be the ultimate predator, if anything.

Glancing around, the figure’s eyes settled on Barry, letting out a predatory growl. Alchemy and his followers took a step back as their god approached the newborn, watching it lift him into his arms. Barry froze as Savitar’s claws cut through his chains like paper, letting them clatter to the stone floor unceremoniously. Barry felt like a newborn in the giant’s hands, cradled, but held gently.

“Safe now, I presume?” a deep, firm voice asked. It vibrated through Barry’s ear nodes, so Barry assumed he was the only one who could hear it.

“Yeah, thanks.” Barry replied in the same strange language.

Slowly, Savitar put Barry down, patting him gently on his smooth dome. “These pitiful creatures believe they can use my powers for evil. What do you believe?” Savitar asked.

Barry bit his lip nervously. “I think they’re just misled. They just don’t understand that humans and creatura can live together. They just want to reject the idea of unity.” Barry replied.

Savitar nodded, impressed. “He taught you well.” Savitar replied, nodding towards Len. Len was sitting on the ground, looking down at his feet.

“He’s got a lot of respect for the gods. He knows the rules, and he follows them to a point. He’s taught me a lot of stuff, and I owe him for that.” Barry replied.

Savitar nodded, moving to grab ahold of the back of Len’s shirt, lifting him to his feet. Len kept his eyes on the ground as Savitar leaned towards him, gently bumping his forehead against Len’s own. “You have my respect, as well as your family.” Savitar stated.

Confused, Len looked to Barry, who gave him a thumbs up.

“I shall deal with these creatures. Return to safety, and care for each other in peace.” Savitar ordered.

Barry nodded, taking hold of Len’s arm. Gesturing towards their exit, Barry dashed off towards the city, pausing when he felt himself shifting back into his human form. “That was intense.” Len stated, looking shocked.

“Yeah.” Barry replied as he shook off the last of the lightning effects.

“So, does Savitar like me or something?” Len asked, confused.

“He respects you, and your family. That’s what he was trying to say.” Barry explained.

“Oh, okay.” Len replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

All of a sudden, their commute was interrupted by loud screams and cries. “What’s going on?” Len cried, alert.

“Savitar said he’d take care of the council. Don’t worry about it.” Barry replied.

Instantly, the Vulksrin relaxed. “So, how’d you find me so fast?” Barry asked.

Len pointed to his nose. “Once you track a Speedster, it’s a little hard to ignore their scent.” Len explained.

Barry smiled, taking hold of the man’s elbow. “Well, where to? I’m worried about Lisa, and Mick. How’d they turn out?” Barry asked.

“They’re at the hospital, having a fit about getting medical attention.” Len explained.

“Care to walk me there?” Barry asked, Len nodding.

After a few minutes of silence, Barry smirked, turning to the Vulksrin. “You called me _your_ newborn. What’s with that?” Barry asked.

“You _are_ my newborn, Barry. You’re also Lisa’s, and Mick’s. We’re a family, and I’ll be damned if anyone gets in the way of that.” Len replied. 

~ENDE


End file.
